Much of the history of John Bryan State Park is "Written in the Rocks" of the Little Miami River Gorge. John Bryan State Park has been described as the “Most Scenic State Park in Western Ohio.” 

The portion of the river gorge in the park has been designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Entering the area of Clifton, at 980 feet above sea level, the Little Miami drops 130 feet through layer upon layer of

bedrock. Each layer has a story to tell of times when the area was covered by warm, shallow seas or was a part of a muddy river delta or was scoured by tons of slow-moving glacial ice. Each layer has its own characteristics as well. Some of the shale layers are easily worn away by the forces of erosion, causing undercutting in the cliff face. The more erosion-resistant dolomite or limestone rocks above are weakened by this undercutting and large "slump blocks" fall away, creating unusual rock formations including Steamboat Rock. Springs feeding small waterfalls and cascades are common.

More than 100 different varieties of trees and shrubs have been identified in the park. More than 340 species of wildflowers also grow wild here. The park includes an abundance of wildlife, with more than 90 different varieties of birds, and a wide variety of trees including a dominating population of Oaks, Maples, Sycamores, and Cottonwoods.

Some of the first people to inhabit this area were the Adena and Hopewell Mound builders.  The Shawnee Indians later pushed the mound builders out and claimed the area as their own.  Tecumseh was born in the town of Chillicothe now known as Oldtown just five miles from the park.  

Tecumseh would often visit his hometown of Oldtown where he maintained a close relationship to James Galloway and his family.  Tecumseh had fallen in love with James’s daughter Rebecca Galloway but would not marry her because she was a white woman and would not agree to become an Indian.  (The James Galloway house is preserved by the Greene County Historical Society in Xenia open to visitors).

Tecumseh known as a great warrior and leader of the Shawnee Indians was known to frequent the John Bryan Park area.

At age 35 Tecumseh was known to drink water from the nearby yellow spring.  The spring was thought to have healing powers by the Shawnee. 

The Land Ordinance of 1785 established standard methods of surveying the land into lots that could later be given to soldiers as pay and also sold.  In 1787 this area was under control of the Northwest Territory.

Ohio played a role in helping an estimated 40,000 runaway slaves escape to Canada.  Ohio being a free state had a designation that no residents would own a slave.  This made it extremely dangerous for slaves escaping through this area. 

In the early 1800’s the Cincinnati Pittsburgh stagecoach road ran through John Bryan State Park  The stagecoach road followed the Little Miami River through the park’s picturesque gorge before making a steep ascent out of the gorge at the east end of the park.  This portion of the Little Miami River was a vital, economical source of power for the early settlers in the 1800s. The Cincinnati-Pittsburgh stagecoach road served the area and several enterprising settlers began establishing water-powered industries in the gorge. The gorge became home to nine mills including textile mills, grist mills, paper mills and sawmills, allowing the town of Clifton to prosper.

 

In the early 1800s nearby Yellow Springs and Wilberforce became homes to the Underground Railroad.  Approximately 16 “Depots” of the Underground Railroad have been discovered in the area of John Bryan that aided in the escape of the slaves.

By the late 1800s, most of the industrial activity in the area ceased. Water was no longer an economical source of power and many mills were abandoned. However, two of the mills built in the area; Clifton Mill and Grinnell Mill are still standing and open to visitors.

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